The alliance with the Soviet Union was made AFTER Hitler had invaded, and we were at war with a common enemy. It is true that the Eastern Front sucked up huge amounts of German manpower....and for that we are grateful....but the Soviets were not our friends. We just had to cooperate with them.
When asked how he felt about being allied with the Soviets, Churchill had the best answer:
“If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons.”
it is estimated that during the course of WWII (1939-1945) Germany had 20 million troops, of which 18 million served at one time or another on the Eastern Front.
The war in Russia (1941-1945) was the most brutal conflict in human history. I’ve read scores of books on that conflict, and it is jaw-dropping. The carnage on both sides was encyclopedic, made moreso by stunning blunders.
Fascinating stuff.